


Have you paid the bill?

by EmmaSpencer



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: AU, Amnesia, Angst, But Greg turns up in time, Developing Relationship, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt, Family Reunions, Gen, Greg gets disinherited, Greg helps Mycroft, Greg is a bit not good, Greg is actually nice, Insecurity, Lestrade mansion, M/M, Misunderstandings, Moving In Together, Mycroft is a Bit Not Good, Mycroft is a servant, Mycroft looks after Greg, Past Abuse, Protective Greg, Rescued Mycroft, School, Secrets, Self-Harm, Sexual Harassment, Slowly developing friendship, Things take a big turn, Very very cold winter and no heating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-14
Updated: 2018-03-24
Packaged: 2019-03-04 19:04:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13371177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmmaSpencer/pseuds/EmmaSpencer
Summary: Mycroft freshly rescued from a slaver tries to fit into the Lestrade household, which doesn't really go as it should. Greg spends his time with drinking, showing his father that he was right saying that he is a disgrace to the family. They first meeting changes something in Greg , which results in some unexpected turns for the both of them.





	1. Chapter 1

Mycroft hurriedly went to the first room he saw, he leaned against the door and looked around.  
“What the hell!” Greg quickly covered himself.  
“Oh…so sorry Sir; I’m sorry.” he covered his eyes. “Sorry.”  
“What are you doing here?” Mycroft quickly stepped behind the door when it opened.  
“Have you seen him?”  
“Knocking my dear sister.”  
“The cute one, have you seen him?”  
“No one is here, now leave.” he said angrily, Mycroft sighed when the door closed.  
“Thank you Sir.” Greg stepped to him covered in the sheet.  
“So my sister set her eyes on you.”  
“I didn’t do anything to…”  
“She does it with everyone new, don’t feel special.”  
“I better go.” Mycroft muttered. Greg stopped him, stroking his face, tracing Mycroft’s lips with his thumb.  
“She is right though you are a cute one.” he whispered, Mycroft gave out a small whine. “Shhh…” Greg leaned closer to kiss him, but Mycroft crouched down covering his head with a whimper.  
“Oh…sorry.” Greg stepped back. “Mycroft is it? I’m sorry.” he stepped even further. “You can go; don’t worry.” Mycroft quickly fumbled to his feet and ran out.

 

“Hello Nan.” Greg went to the kitchen.  
“He’s not here; and I would like to ask you not to harass the young man further or I tell it to your father.”  
“I wasn’t harassing him.”  
“Then why did the poor thing come to me crying asking if he has to give in and let you…”  
“He doesn’t! I hope you told him.”  
“I did.”  
“I’m so sorry, I was drunk.” she shook her head. “I know, I’m pathetic, a disgrace to the family.”  
“You only act like it.”  
“Father said it to my face.”  
“And you do nothing to change his opinion.”  
“Well…”  
“I’ve known you since you were born, you were never one to just give up.”  
“I’ve changed.”  
“You can change again Greg dear.” he sunk to the chair.  
“I know.” he buried his face to his arms. “I just don’t know what to do.”  
“You made him play the piano or your sister?”  
“Why?” Greg’s head shot up.  
“Edward heard it and he wasn’t pleased.”  
“What did he do to him?”  
“Guess.”  
“Oh…it was me; he plays so well. I wonder where he learned it.”  
“I have a theory, bit farfetched, but still.”  
“What is it?” he looked at her excitedly.  
“Aren’t you bit old for stories?”  
“Please Nan; please.” he pleaded.  
“Fine, but then help me peel the potatoes.”  
“Sure.”  
“I hope you know that the king died.”  
“I’m not that ignorant.”  
“He had three children.”  
“The oldest sick and died, the second boy ran away, they found him living under another name, investigating crimes with another student; he didn’t want to come back so the crazy girl is the queen now.”  
“Greg!”  
“Sorry, but she is, you just have to look at her.”  
“You met the oldest when your father was still working in the palace; he is younger then you and you played with him a lot when you went with him.”  
“I was babysitting the prince?”  
“Yes. Do you remember his name?”  
“No.”  
“No one does; I asked around but no one seems to remember his name.”  
“So?”  
“The poor child was taken from home and sold as a slave. Your father found him and liberated him. He didn’t have it easy at his former place, that’s why he acts so strangely, flinching at every sudden move or loud noise, he doesn’t like being touched, he always eats alone, fearing that someone will take his food away…”  
“You think he is the oldest prince.”  
“Yes.”  
“Nan.” he chuckled.  
“He doesn’t remember his family but he said that he somehow remembers you. He said he thinks you two were playing a lot when he was little.”  
“Anyone can say that.” he sighed and stood up. “Where is he?”  
“Leave him be Greg.” Greg kissed her cheeks.  
“I thought I share my experience with dealing with Edward’s punishment.”  
“I sent him to his room, he can’t do anything today.”  
“I promise I won’t do anything to him.” Greg went to Mycroft’s room and knocked on the door, when there was no answer he slightly opened the door. “May I come in?” he poked his head in; he saw Mycroft sitting by the window, not turning to his voice, his hands resting in his lap. Greg cautiously stepped closer. “Mycroft!” he called his name a bit louder, he stirred and looked at him with fear. “Sorry to startle you.”  
“Sir.” he stood up.  
“No, please sit down. I’m sorry for what happened to you, it was my fault.” he looked at Mycroft’s hands, he was trying really hard not to move them not to touch anything. “Edward did that to me too, I was a lively child or naughty if you ask them; I know something that’ll make it a hundred times better. I’m also sorry for my behaviour, I know it’s not an excuse, but I was drunk.” Mycroft sunk back to the chair. “May I?” he pointed at his hands.  
“I have to go back to work.”  
“Not today, you can’t do anything with those hands.” Greg stepped closer. “Please.”  
“It’s not…” he trailed off.  
“I don’t mind, please let me.” Mycroft reluctantly held out his arms.  
“I think first you should get changed for bed, it’ll be even harder to move your fingers after I bandage it. I go out till that.”  
“I can’t unbutton my shirt.” Mycroft whispered.  
“You want me to do it; I promise I’ll do nothing else.” Mycroft nodded hesitantly. Greg stepped to him. “Good lord.” he gasped, when he got the shirt off him, Mycroft closed his eyes and lowered his head. “Sorry.” Greg mumbled and quickly helped the sleeping gown on Mycroft. “Now please sit down. I’m sorry in advance, if I hurt you, but it’ll be much better in the morning.” Mycroft didn’t give out a sound while Greg worked.  
“Thank you very much Sir.”  
“Sorry for asking, but who did that to you?”  
“My master.”  
“Your what?”  
“I was his and when I didn’t behave I was punished.”  
“How long you were there?”  
“Three years.”  
“Before that?”  
“I can’t remember, the doctor said it’s the trauma I had to live through.”  
“I talked with Nan, she said that you remember me.”  
“I might, it’s most likely just my brain messing with me.”  
“Maybe not. What do you remember?”  
“I remember a big garden, your father calling you away, but I kept clinging to your leg, because we couldn’t finish the game we were playing. I was four and you seven.” Greg sat in silence for a while.  
“I do it tomorrow evening too. Sorry again.” he left and walked to his room.  
“We are having dinner in ten minutes get ready.” his father called after him.  
“Not hungry.” he climbed the stairs.  
“Of course not, after drinking all night long.” he mumbled, but Greg just ignored him. He spent the whole evening with thinking and pacing.

“Nan.” he went down to the kitchen early morning. “I was thinking about your theory, Mycroft said he was taken captive three years ago when the king almost died.”  
“Yes.”  
“What if she wanted to kill her father and got rid of his brother so no one will be in her way; Sherlock never wanted the throne, he said it several times.”  
“Possible.”  
“Morning Sir.” Edward came to the kitchen.  
“Edward, from now on you are not to touch Mycroft in any ways. He was about to teach me play the piano, but he can’t even hold a plate not to mention moving his fingers. Understood?”  
“Yes Sir.”  
“He really messed his hands up.” Greg sighed when he left.  
“I know, poor thing.”  
“I saw the rest too.”  
“Greg!”  
“He couldn’t unbutton his shirt with those fingers. I made a mistake once and now I’m a rapist?”  
“No Greg, sorry.”  
“I can’t imagine what he went through.”  
“Nothing good.” Greg sat in silence for a while.  
“I was thinking all night long; I want out of the house and my options are the military, which I won’t choose. Or I go to university, which might be good for me.”  
“I agree.” she smiled.

“Father, may I talk to you in private?”  
“What is it?”  
“I want to start university; law.”  
“Are you serious?”  
“Yes, I would study and work to cover my expenses; I might need a little help with the lodging in the beginning. I’d also like to take Mycroft with me; I’d pay him too.”  
“Why would you?”  
“It might be better for him, here he is scared of everyone, Edward keeps punishing him for everything he doesn’t know.”  
“He’ll learn it.”  
“But father; he was kept as a slave for three years, you really think that he’ll be able to fit in if Edwards keep beating him just like they did before!”  
“I’ll think about it.”  
“Thank you.”

“You are doing what?” Nan shrieked.  
“I thought it’ll be better for him, he is scared from everyone here. He’d have his room, I won’t bother him, he wouldn’t have to do anything for me…after I learn how to do it.” he mumbled.  
“He is scared of you the most.”  
“It’s been two months and I haven’t done anything to him, except talking; and he is less scared now. There’ll be only one key to the room and it’ll be his, so he can close it. I’m really not like that.” he sighed. “And I’m tired of apologising for it.”  
“Maybe you should have thought before drink.” Greg sighed and turned to leave. “Do you want to learn anything or it’s just talk.”  
“I do, please.” he turned back.  
“Could you talk to him first, please.”  
“Me?”  
“He likes you, he trusts you, please.”  
“Why do you want him to go so much?”  
“I just want to help him, truly.”  
“I’ll see.”  
“Thank you.”

“Sorry to bother you.” Greg stared at the thick book Mycroft was reading.  
“I have permission to read it.” Mycroft said quickly.  
“What…oh sure. Did Nan talk to you?”  
“Yes.”  
“My father said that you can come with me, but I want to know what do you want.”  
“It seems like that I’m going, your father already told me that I have to.”  
“You don’t have to.”  
“I do, he said it.” Greg sighed.  
“Mycroft you are a free man you can decide what you want. My father won’t send you away just because you say no.”  
“I already said yes.”  
“But do you want to move?”  
“I already said yes.” he repeated.  
“Then we are moving next Sunday.” Greg still looked at him hesitantly.  
“Yes Sir.”  
“Please get used to not calling me Sir.” Greg turned to leave.  
“Yes Sir.” Greg stopped and turned back. “Seriously?”  
“Sorry Sir.”  
“Mycroft.” he rolled his eyes.  
“I’m sorry Gregory.” he said finally. “It’s not easy to forget habits after three years.”  
“I know, good night.” he turned back. “One more thing.” he stepped closer to Mycroft, who flinched. “Sorry, I just don’t want anyone else to hear it. How would you like to go to university?”  
“What?” Mycroft dropped the book.  
“Just asking, you are really clever I thought you might want to.”  
“I’m a servant, nothing more. I’m grateful for your offer but it’s really not appropriate.”  
“I inherited money from my aunt she and my father weren’t talking so he doesn’t know about it; it is only to be used at my education or if I get married. Father agreed to pay mine, if I really study. You could study whatever you want!”  
“Why are you doing this?” his voice was trembling.  
“You are too intelligent to be wasted as a servant. I’m just offering an opportunity; I want nothing in exchange; promise.” Mycroft still scanned him with suspicion. “Think about it tonight.”  
“But I’m too young.”  
“And you already know more than me.”  
“It’s late to apply.”  
“I already applied for you same as me, but you can still change faculty.” he left the stunned Mycroft alone.


	2. Chapter 2

“Well here we are.” Greg put the last box down. “I thought it to be worse.” he smiled. “Which room do you want?” Mycroft pointed at the smaller one. “Are you sure, the other has better lighting.”  
“I’m sure Sir.” he looked down.  
“All right, we need to talk, please sit down.” Mycroft sank to a box looking at Greg questioningly. “I just want to tell you that you can’t say or do anything for which I’d hurt you in any ways. Please understand it; you are safe here.” Mycroft nodded. “I really mean it.” Mycroft nodded again. “This is the only key to that room, it’s yours. I will not go in there only to clean it if you let me.”  
“My key.” Mycroft took it with shaking hand.  
“Yes, and these are for the flat and the gate.” Greg gave him the others. “Also I’d like you to know that you are not below me in any ways.”  
“I am.” he looked down.  
“No Mycroft you are not. You are my classmate and my flatmate and hopefully one day my friend; but you are in no way less than me.”  
“I better start unpacking.” he stood up.  
“Sit down, please. Why do you think you are?” Mycroft stood still, not looking at Greg. “Mycroft?”  
“Yes Sir.”  
“Greg please. Would you answer me?”  
“I’m a servant with no family; I can’t even remember my full name.” Mycroft whispered.  
“Mycroft Holmes.”  
“Holmes?”   
“Yes, I thought it sounds well. And you are no longer my servant, I told you before.”  
“I am, I’m still in contract with your father.”  
“My father, not me; and he is not here so…”  
“Then what am I?” he looked up.  
“University student; just like me.”  
“I’m nothing.” Mycroft mumbled, Greg sighed knowing that it’ll take lots of time and more conversations to change Mycroft’s mind. “One more confession, Nan taught me pretty much everything, but the only thing I’m terrible at is ironing. I burned quiet a number of shirts and trousers and anything else that got under my hands.”  
“I can do it.”  
“Thank you very much. I know how to cook, she’s been teaching me since I was little.”  
“I do not know how to do that.”  
“I’ll teach you, don’t worry. Shell we start packing then.” he looked around the boxes.”  
“Right away Sir.”  
“Mycroft!”  
“Gregory.”  
“Close enough. Where should we start?”  
“I do it.”  
“No way, you don’t pack on your own. I start with my room, you with yours and then finish the rest together. Do not start without me!”

It wasn’t easy for Mycroft to get used to the new routine; to Greg’s annoyance he still did everything instead of him. Greg had to race him to do his chores. After weeks and weeks of begging and the increasing amount of school work which was double for Mycroft since law wasn’t enough for him made him accept the new situation. Then Greg started to work and Mycroft started to feel even worse that he wasn’t working and wasn’t allowed to do the work he’s been paid for, but Greg reassured him that it was fine and anyways that would be too suspicious; so he accepted it. He spent the afternoons and the evenings at home, Greg and his classmates tried to get him to come with them, but he still felt better left alone in his room. Greg studied as promised but he also enjoyed the freedom and spent lots of nights away. A number of times Mycroft had to collect Greg from a party or wash him out if his sick after he stumbled home drunk, but as he promised he never made a move on him; not even when he was drunk; which eased Mycroft’s anxiety a bit. He for a long time didn’t trust him, back in the house there was Nan and Mycroft knew that she would help him, but here they were alone and he wasn’t sure that Greg would keep to himself. At fist Mycroft kept his door closed constantly, only coming out when Greg wasn’t home or was already asleep. Since nothing happened and he was sure that Greg kept his word he got out of his room more and to his own surprise he started to talk with him. As it turned out Greg wasn’t at all bad, just a bit miserable after the loss of his mother leaving them both stunned, resulting in his father’s high expectations towards him, against which Greg rebelled. As Mycroft got to know more and more things about him, he started to like Greg, he felt sorry for him and he wowed that he’ll make everything to keep him on the right track. And slowly, very slowly Greg also got to know Mycroft.

Greg got home and found the flat empty; he smiled finally Mycroft set his foot out of the flat; on his own! He left of course when Greg dragged him along to the theatre or to concerts he also went to school and the store but they didn’t need anything now which could only meant that he went to see something. Greg decided to start with the cleaning, he was sweeping the floor in Mycroft’s room, he poked the broom under the bed when he heard a small whimper. He knelt down to find Mycroft curled up under the bed.  
“Mycroft! What on earth are you doing there?” he just whimpered. “Mycroft?” Greg grabbed his arms and started to pull him, Mycroft cried out, it was so loud and sounded so terrified that Greg let go of him immediately. “Sorry Mycroft, are you all right?”  
“I’m sorry, so sorry.” he was shaking. “I’m so sorry, please…I’m sorry.”  
“What happened?”  
“I’m sorry.” Greg took hold of his arms again and pulled him out, Mycroft kept screaming. As soon as Greg let go of him he crawled to the corner, he was on his knees shaking, keeping his head very low.  
“I’m so sorry master, I am…please I already punished myself, please…” he held out his arms, Greg just realised that his sleeves were soaked in blood.  
“What have you done Mycroft?” Greg whispered turning very pale.  
“Please don’t do more…please. I’m sorry master. I’ll be good, it won’t happen again…please…” he was trembling. Greg knelt next to him. “I’m sorry master.” Mycroft whispered not looking up.  
“Mycroft please listen to me, whatever happened I won’t do anything to you, I promised. I’m not going to hurt you.” he put a hand to his shoulder, Mycroft gave out a small whine. “It’s just me Greg, you are safe here Mycroft; no one is going to hurt you.”  
“Gregory?” he looked up with confusion.  
“I’m here.” Mycroft started to cry, Greg wanted nothing more than to pull Mycroft to his arms, reassure him that he was safe, but he thought it to be better to keep his distance.   
“I’m so sorry Gregory.” Mycroft whispered he sat down, wiping down his tears with his sleeves.  
“What for?” Greg asked with disbelief.  
“I…I ate the last piece of cake.”  
“Good for you, please tell me you didn’t do all of this because of that.”  
“No…” he whined. “I was washing the plate and it slipped from my hands. I’m so sorry…I know it was your mother’s and Nan said to look after it…I’m so sorry.”  
“It’s just a plate Mycroft, nothing more.” he reassured him. “Just a plate it can be replaced.”  
“But it was your mother’s.”  
“Just a plate Mycroft, it won’t erase her from my memory.”  
“I didn’t mean to.”  
“Of course not, accidents happen. I’m not going to do anything to you, promise. Can I see your arms now?” Mycroft held out his arms again. “May I?” he got closer to him and rolled up Mycroft’s sleeves when he nodded. Greg’s stomach twitched seeing what Mycroft did to himself. “Why did you do this Mycroft?” he tried to steady his voice.  
“If I punished myself and he found it sufficient he didn’t do anything else to me.”  
“Come to the kitchen please, it has better lighting, I clean it.” Mycroft stood, up, Greg had to catch him before he fell. “I’ve got you.”   
“Could you let go of me?” Mycroft whispered turning even paler.  
“Can you stand on your own?”  
“Yes…it’s nothing.”  
“You are kidding with me.” Greg slowly let go of him, keeping close in case Mycroft wouldn’t be able to stand on his own.   
“I knew it won’t be enough.” he whispered.  
“Mycroft that is not what I meant.”  
“What else shell I do?” Greg grabbed his arms turning him so he could look at him.  
“Nothing, I’m begging you never to do this to yourselves again.” Greg begged. “Nothing Mycroft.” he whispered. “Please.”  
“I’m sorry for causing distress to you. I take care of it.”  
“Nope, come on. I do it.” Mycroft followed Greg without a word, he pushed him to a chair and bandaged up both of his forearms. “Mycroft please, please, please don’t do this again. I told you I won’t punish you for anything, and you mustn’t hurt yourself.” Mycroft nodded.  
“For real?”  
“Yes Gregory, I try.”  
“Why just try?”  
“Because I panicked and I couldn’t think properly.”  
“Are you scared at the moment?”  
“Of what?”  
“Anything; anything that makes you uncomfortable.”  
“I don’t think so.”  
“Okay.”  
“I go and do the cleaning.” he stood up.  
“No Mycroft, it’s my turn now. You should go and rest.”  
“I have to study.”  
“No you don’t, you already know everything. Please.” Mycroft reluctantly left the kitchen.

“Nan!” Greg finished the cleaning and now was sitting on the floor by the phone.  
“What happened?”  
“He hurt himself…I don’t know what to do now.” he sighed.  
“What happened?”  
“He accidentally broke mum’s plate, I found him under the bed, he slashed both of his forearms. I told him when we moved up that he can not do anything for which I’d hurt him…and now this!”  
“Where is he now?”  
“I sent him to rest. I don’t know what else to do. I talked with him again, but…”  
“Give him time, he needs to get used to a lot.”  
“But what if he does something worse to himself? He said that it wasn’t enough...what will he do next?”  
“We can only hope he won’t. How are you?”  
“Tired, but I’m studying, Mycroft looks so angrily when I don’t do enough according his standards, which are high I must say. I never met anyone who was this dedicated…”  
“What is going on Greg dear?”  
“Oh…”  
“Greg?”  
“He…he is my classmate.”  
“How?”  
“Aunt Cecil.” she chuckled. “He is young but he knew more than any of us on day one. He is studying law and after the second week he started economy too and he’s already on full scholarship.”  
“Just keep it from your father.”  
“I intend to.”  
“Why?”  
“I’m not sure but after I decided to come here I had the papers made up for him and applied in his name. He’s not fit to be a servant it is obvious, this way he’d have a chance at a normal life. Tell me I did wrong.”  
“No, no…”  
“Please tell me you’re not crying.”  
“I’m just…”  
“Nan.”  
“Oh my dear…”  
“I better check on him, he lost lots of blood, he’s always so pale…”  
“It’s good to hear that you two look after each other. Don’t forget to call me and not only when there is a problem.”  
“Sorry. I call promise.”  
“Thank you, be safe.”  
Greg knocked on Mycroft’s door.  
“Come in.”  
“I asked you not to study.” Greg sighed putting the tea to his table.  
“I have to write this, you too.”  
“I know; I’ll start in a minute. I talked with Nan.”  
“How’s she?”  
“She is well. I accidentally told her about you going to school…sorry.”  
“She was always so nice to me.”  
“She is. Mind if I write mine here?”  
“You are afraid I’ll drop? I won’t, I had worse.”  
“That doesn’t make me feel better. I just want to make sure you don’t do anything else.”  
“Thank you.” Mycroft made space for him.  
“Will you be able to come tomorrow?”  
“Of course.”  
“Oh stupid me, painkiller.” he hurried out. “Here you go.” Mycroft couldn’t open the bottle so Greg did it for him. “How can you hold the pen?”  
“I have to.”  
“The others will murder me tomorrow.” after realising what Mycroft was capable of the whole class swore to protect their youngest member.  
“They won’t; no one will realise it.”  
“Have you seen your face while you write?”  
“No, but with pain killers I’ll manage…I think.”  
“I’m so sorry Mycroft.”  
“Not your fault, you did nothing wrong, thank you for helping.”  
“I’m here Mycroft, you can count on me.”  
“What did Nan say to you treating me like this?”  
“Like another human being? She cried.”  
“But why are you doing it?”  
“You are not cut out for service, I can see it clearly. I’m pretty sure you had a decent family, you are well educated, you play the piano better than the pianist on the concert we went last week…” Mycroft tilted his head. “All right I did it because of selfish reasons. I thought if I don’t do anything else with my life at least I could tell that I helped you. Some achievement.” he smiled sadly.  
“You have a brain for this.” he pointed at the books. “You just have to spend a bit more time with studying.”  
“You know what I would really want to do? I would like to be a policeman…but that would really make father upset.”  
“I’m sorry to say this, but…sorry never mind.”  
“No, no please you see everything so clearly.”  
“You already think that your father despise you so why don’t do it and show him that you are very good at it.”  
“I might not be good at it, I don’t want to bring shame on the family, this way I’ll get by.”  
“Unhappily.”  
“If that’s what needed for him to accept me.” he sighed. “I have to finish this.” he turned his eyes back to his paper.


	3. Chapter 3

Greg was out for the night, he was trying to open the door in the darkness. “Don’t push the bell…you wake my cousin.” he hissed at his companion.  
“Why doesn’t he join us?” the other man chuckled.  
“He’s too young. Now hush.” Greg finally opened the door to be met by an angry tired looking Mycroft; his expression immediately changed seeing that Greg wasn’t alone. “Oh, sorry that we woke you Mycroft. He is…”  
“Alistair, at your service you gorgeous.” he staggered forward; Mycroft quickly retreated to the wall.  
“Sorry.” Greg grabbed his arm, pulling him back. “Sorry to wake you. Good night.” he pulled Alistair to his bedroom closing the door behind them. Mycroft sighed being glad that the walls were thick and went back to sleep.   
He wasn’t asleep for long when a hand slid over his mouth, his eyes flew open immediately. In the darkness he couldn’t really see who was it, his mind was clouded by fear dimming all of his senses. “Shhh my gorgeous.” Alistair whispered; Mycroft managed to pull himself together enough to try and push him off himself, but he was too weak, soon Alistair was laying on top of him pushing him down with his full weight. “Now dear, behave.” he quickly stuffed a sock to his mouth to silence him. “There, now your pretty hands.” Mycroft kept scratching and hitting until his hands were tied to the end of the bed with a tie. Then he was turned to his stomach, his clothes ripped off. Alistair started kissing his back, biting him whenever Mycroft wouldn’t stay put. Mycroft was shaking, desperately trying to get free, he felt terrified. Then the door got thrown open and Greg grabbed Alistair by the hair without a word and pulled him off Mycroft, he continued to drag him out of the flat, kicking him off the stairs, throwing his clothes after him. He hurried back to Mycroft quickly covering him with the blanket and untied him. “I’m so sorry, so so sorry. Sorry Mycroft.” he kept repeating. “Did he…?” Mycroft shook his head. “Oh…” Greg sighed a bit relieved. “I’m so sorry, sorry I didn’t wake earlier.” Mycroft curled up, tightly clutching the blanket as he sobbed. “How did he get into your room?”  
“I don’t close the door anymore, I know you wouldn’t…you wouldn’t…”  
“I’m so sorry Mycroft.” Greg sat to the floor.  
“Not your fault.”  
“It is, I shouldn’t have brought him here. I told you that you are safe here and…promise it will never happen again, I won’t bring anyone up.” he sat in silence watching Mycroft’s back as he sobbed. “I get you tea and a change of clothes.” he stood up when Mycroft calmed down a bit. He put on the kettle and went to the bathroom to get the disinfectant for the bites. He closed the door, sliding down to the floor fighting his tears, blaming himself for everything.  
“This isn’t your fault Gregory.” he heard that Mycroft sat to the other side of the door. “You can’t protect me from everything.”  
“But I promised that I will…and I failed in this too. Like I fail in everything…and now I sit here feeling sorry for myself, god what a monster I am. I’m sorry you ended up with me Mycroft.”  
“Gregory…”  
“My father is right, I’m nothing just a failure.”  
“You are not. Have you seen how he looked at you when he came to see you?”  
“How?”  
“He was…is proud of you.”  
“Sure.” Greg could almost hear Mycroft rolling his eyes. “Nan will kill me for this.”  
“She won’t, you woke up in time after all, nothing happened.” Mycroft stood up. “The tea will go cold on you.” Greg washed his face and went after him.  
“Will you allow me to clean your wounds?” Mycroft nodded.  
“Only on your back?”  
“Yes.” Greg cleaned them in silence; he sat to the floor drinking his tea. Mycroft dressed up and wrapped the blanket around himself, then patted the bed next to him.  
“Mycroft?”  
“Please Gregory.” his tears were falling again, Greg sat next to him and wrapped his arms around the sobbing Mycroft.  
“Shhh…shhh.” he stroked his hair. “I won’t let anyone hurt you again, promise. When you were there, you know where did he ever…” Mycroft shook his head. “Good, that’s something.” Mycroft snorted. “I’m sorry, I mean it would…”  
“Wouldn’t make any difference, I was starved, beaten, flogged, kicked burned kept tied up in a cage in the cold flooded basement. I lived my life on a leash, naked, not allowed to speak; I had to eat whatever he put in front of me, whatever it was Gregory…I tried to end it but he was really careful so I couldn’t. I tried to just lay down and let him kill me, but that didn’t work either, after a while it didn’t matter. He broke me, I was his and I did what he told me to…It would have been just one on the list.” Mycroft trailed off.  
“How did dad find you? He kept you hidden for three years after all.”  
“I’m not sure, one day it wasn’t him who came down the stairs. Your father was kind to me, he talked to me, got my chains off and carried me out of there even that I was covered in blood and dirty. I was in the hospital for a few weeks, then went to your house. I was scared, really scared he told me hundred times why he took me home, but I was still scared that it’ll be just like before…”  
“Why did he take you?”  
“He said that I need a place where I’m looked after, where I can get used to being normal again. He told me this way I can learn a trade, I’ll have a place to sleep, food, warm, I get paid and when I’m ready I can leave…if I want to.”  
“But you still think you are his.”  
“Whose?”  
“Father’s. Before we moved you said that you had to come because he told you so.”  
“He asked me actually.”  
“I hoped so.”  
“I wanted to get out of there from day one.” Mycroft whispered. “He told me I can stay but I wanted to go whatever the price was. So I said yes.”  
“Why?”  
“I didn’t feel well between them to be honest.”  
“The staff?” Mycroft nodded.  
“Only Nan was kind to me…I’m not entirely sure why they didn’t like me, they were suspicious of me; like I’d be a spy for your father; don’t ask me why I felt like that…and I felt like they were little jealous of me, I do not know what for. Maybe because they had to move together so I could get a room, or I took someone’s job, or someone wanted my job…I don’t know. But they were cold and hostile so I stayed away from them.”   
“And I didn’t help the situation either.”  
“It was…I was truly terrified, I’m sorry. I know you are not like that and that you were drunk, but at that moment and after that…the possibility that I had to lay down and let you…”  
“I’m so sorry for that, truly.”  
“I know you and trust you, I feel safe here, not at the moment, I’ll need a little time.”  
“Of course. And after that I made it even harder for you by asking you to play the piano for me.”  
“You told me to play so I did.”  
“Do you want to play now? I’m sure we can find someone who could give you sheets and let you practice. I don’t say teach you because you are already so good in it.”  
“I don’t want to be more trouble then I already am.”  
“It wouldn’t be, promise.”  
“Talking about teaching; there are lots of students looking for someone to tutor them, I’m good in pretty much everything, I could take a few of them.”  
“If you really want to.”  
“I do, I want to help. Also I sent a few of my writings to a newspaper and they printed it so I’ll get money from there too. I can pay into the rent this way.”  
“You should keep it Mycroft.”  
“No, I want to, I have to…my salary is enough for whatever I might need.”  
“You are quite low maintenance as far as I see.”  
“I had nothing before; so I don’t miss it. I only need what is really necessary.”  
“Do as you like, but you don’t have to overwork yourself, we are fine.”  
“Thank you.” they sat in silence for a while. “I can’t remember the last time someone did this.”  
“What?”  
“Hold me, stroke my hair.”  
“Want me to stop?”  
“No, please. Could you maybe stay here with me tonight? I’m not sure I’d be able to sleep and I have a test tomorrow so I probably should sleep.” he mumbled.  
“Okay, just let me settle bit more comfortably.” Mycroft sat up and snuggled back into Greg’s arms when he pulled him down. He continued to stroke his hair and started to sing a lullaby, he smiled seeing how quickly Mycroft drifted off. He kept the light on and slowly fell asleep too.


	4. Chapter 4

“Gregory!” Greg woke up to Mycroft’s angry voice.  
“Hmmm?” he mumbled.  
“Have you paid the gas bill?”  
“Sure.” he turned to his other side.  
“Then why is it freezing?” Greg sat up and shivered pulling the blanket up to his nose.  
“Jesus!” Mycroft was standing by his bed wearing three pullovers, a hat, a scarf and gloves looking at him angrily, still shaking visibly. “Wasn’t it you who should do it”?  
“No, you only gave me the water and electricity bill, you said you did it.”  
“Oh…oh…sorry.”  
“Great, the coldest January in decades and we don’t have heating for the weekend.”  
“Sorry.” Mycroft dumped pullovers and a scarf next to Greg.  
“Dress up.”  
“We should set a fire.”  
“With what?”  
“There’s the broken chair, and I can get some wood tomorrow.” Mycroft sighed.  
“It won’t last long.”  
“Don’t care.” Greg got up and set the fire. “Now.” he brought over Mycroft’s blanket. “If we don’t want to freeze to death we should sleep here.”  
“Fine with me.” Mycroft was already in bed; Greg chuckled and settled next to him covering themselves with the other blanket. “I would kill you if my fingers wouldn’t be this frozen.” Greg chuckled again, Mycroft snuggled closer to him. “I’m so cold.”  
“Sorry.” Greg mumbled and moved back.  
“Gregory?”  
“Yes?”  
“Are you uncomfortable with me being here?”  
“No.”  
“Then why are you keep retreating?”  
“Oh, well…” he cleared his throat. “The lower part of my body has a mind of its own…” he mumbled uncomfortably.”Sorry.” Mycroft slowly brought up one of his hands to Greg’s face and kissed him.

Greg woke up in the morning when Mycroft sat up. “Mycroft, come back you catch a cold.” Greg pulled him back arranging the blanket around him.  
“I probably should go…” he mumbled.  
“We have to talk Mycroft.” Greg cupped his face so he couldn’t look away. “We should have talked before, but after you kiss me I couldn’t think properly. I want to know that it wasn’t some kind of misguided idea that you have to sleep with me, because…”  
“It wasn’t.” Mycroft cut him off.  
“Oh…then I might as well say it now…I’m in love with you; I’ve been for a while. We moved here and slowly I got to know you and I couldn’t help to fell in love with you. You are so strong, you have such a warm heart, you are helpful, caring, funny, intelligent. But I promised I won’t make a move on you, so I said nothing.”  
“It was me not you.”  
“Well, both of us.” Greg kissed him. “I hope you know that you do not have to…”  
“I love you, or I think this is how being in love feels like. I’m feeling happier seeing you succeed in something, seeing how happy you are, than anything I do. I constantly find myself staring at you in class, wishing I could hold your hand…” Mycroft laced their fingers. “I know we live together, but I want to spend even more time with you, do things together, I feel jealous seeing other men around you. I know you don’t go out much these days, but I find myself laying awake waiting for you to come home wondering what are you doing, who are you with…I’m sorry.” Mycroft whispered, Greg stroked his hair and kissed him. “Now could you go and get some wood so at least we don’t freeze to death first.”  
“First?”  
“We’ll be murdered by your father when he finds out about it.”  
“No one will find out about it.” Greg buried his face to Mycroft’s neck and kissed him. “I better hurry.” he got up. “You stay and keep warm till that.”  
“Fine with me.” Mycroft snuggled to the place Greg left.

 

After Greg’s persuasion Mycroft stayed for the summer. The cover story was that Mycroft stayed to conduct a big clean up of the flat.  
“I missed you so much.” Greg stroked Mycroft’s side.  
“You missed me or sex?”  
“My?” he just sighed and turned to his back to him. “Of course I missed you, sex is good as always, but I missed talking to you. Why would you think that?”  
“While I did the cleaning…”  
“I told you not to…”  
“I was thinking.”  
“Mycroft I’m not leaving you, promise.”  
“You would if you’d find someone else.”  
“Where would I find someone better than you?”  
“Anywhere, anyways your father told you to get married so this will end very soon.” he got up.  
“Mycroft please come back.” Greg followed him, he stood in front of Mycroft’s door. “Please Mycroft, I won’t marry a woman, no way.”  
“You will because you want to please your father.”  
“I do, but not like this…”  
“You told me you’ll do anything even if it makes you unhappy to make him accept you, to make him proud.”  
“I can’t lose you.”  
“Sure, I’m just one of many.”  
“No, you are the one for me.” Mycroft didn’t answer. Greg sighed and went back to his room.

“Nan.”  
“What happened this time?” she sighed hearing Greg’s tone.  
“We argued, I think; he hasn’t been talking to me for days, he moved back to his room, I can hear him cry through the door, he doesn’t even look at me. Please, I don’t want to lose him.”  
“It happens, I argued with my dear Archibald too; few days and everything was back to normal. Why were you arguing?”  
“I told him that I missed him; for some reason he thinks that I only with him for sex and that I’ll drop him at a sight of another pretty face or I’ll marry like father told me to; none of which will happen, but I can’t say anything that’d change his mind.”  
“Then do something that’ll show him how much you care about him.”  
“But what?”  
“You know him better than anyone, you’ll figure something.”  
“Thanks. I call you how it went.”  
“Good luck.”

It’s been two weeks of silence. “Get dressed we are going out.” Greg knocked on Mycroft’s door, when he didn’t come out Greg knocked again. “Please Mycroft, we’ll be late. You hate being late.”  
“Where are we going?” Mycroft came out.  
“Surprise, put your robe on too.”  
“Why?”  
“Because I told you so.”  
“Yes Sir.” Greg buried his face to his hands.  
“That’s not what I meant.”  
“I’m ready Sir.”  
“Mycroft please; come.” Greg took his hand.  
“I hope we are not going to that club you frequent.”  
“No, I know you; I’d never take you there. Anyways I haven’t been there since…that.” before they stepped out of the flat Greg let go of his hand. They walked in silence Mycroft keeping few steps behind Greg. “Please Mycroft come next to me.”  
“It’s not appropriate.”  
“Could you please stop with it, nothing changed so please come next to me.” Mycroft stepped next to him. “Thank you My.”  
“As you wish.” he mumbled. Greg just grunted, hoping his surprise will change the situation.  
“What are we doing here?” Mycroft’s eyes grew wide when they reached their destination.  
“I talked with Nan, and she said to do something that’ll show you how much I love you….”  
“Shhh, for god’s sake.” Mycroft looked around with fear.  
“I thought this way you’ll know how well I know you and how much I care about you. So I talked with lots of people, wrote a bunch of letters, I went begging to some more people, your professors wrote recommendations; but it is done.” they walked up the stairs. “You have full access to the national library, you can come in whenever you want, you can read anything…I mean it all the secret documents; everything you wish for My.”  
“Mr. Lestrade and Mr. Holmes I presume.”  
“Sir.” they shook hands and went in.  
“I can’t go further.” Greg stopped in the hall. “I’ll wait for you here.” Mycroft just nodded, but his eyes told everything.  
“How was it?” Greg asked when he came back, Mycroft just shook his head and hurried out, Greg ran after him. “Mycroft! Wait!” Greg yelled, soon he lost sight of him. He found Mycroft home in his room. “My?” he stood at the open doorway. “Can I come in?” Mycroft just whimpered, Greg sat next to him on the bed. “Everything all right love?” Mycroft nodded then shook his head, he wrapped his arms tightly around Greg, burying his face to his robe as he cried. “Did I do good?” Mycroft nodded still not able to talk, Greg kissed his temple. Mycroft looked up and kissed Greg. “Thank you.” he whispered.  
“Everything for you my love.” Greg smiled at him. Mycroft rested his head on Greg’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.”  
“There is nothing you should feel sorry for, it happened and will happen according Nan.”  
“I was just alone, nothing to do, so I was thinking and…”  
“I know love, I know. But I didn’t want to take you home so Edward can continue to torment you, I know you don’t feel well there so what would have been the point in making you uncomfortable. I thought you could rest before the term...I missed you so much, but calling you every day would be suspicious.”  
“I know.” Greg stroked his hair.  
“Are you hungry?”  
“Bit…”  
“I’m starving, let’s eat. And you can tell me everything about your dream library during it.”


	5. Chapter 5

Mycroft opened the door, he almost called out to Greg but saw the coat in time.  
“Afternoon Sir.” he bowed seeing Greg’s father.  
“Afternoon.”  
“Father is here to take you back.” Greg said in a hollow voice, Mycroft’s heart skipped a beat.  
“I’ll be ready soon Sir.” he went to his room, Greg followed him.  
“Do you want to go?” Greg whispered, Mycroft turned back fighting his tears, Greg knew immediately that he didn’t. “Then stay.”  
“I can’t, I belong to him.”  
“You don’t, you can say no to him. He can’t do anything to you, maybe fire you but you can still stay with me, we are half year away from graduation we’ll be fine…”  
“He said I have to go, so I have to.” Mycroft bowed his head.  
“Please don’t go.” Greg pleaded.  
“I’m so sorry Gregory.” he left the room not looking up. Greg looked after them as they left, feeling more lonely than ever.  
Greg got home late from work, since he was alone he rather spent his time in the office than in the empty flat. He went to his room not turning up the lights and dropped to the bed, he felt something sticking to his back so he turned on the bedside lamp. The bed was covered with books and on the other side Mycroft was curled up wrapped in a blanket sound asleep. Greg got the books off the bed and snuggled closer to him, kissing Mycroft’s nose, he chuckled when he wrinkled his nose.  
“I missed you.”  
“Me too Gregory.” he opened his eyes.  
“You ran away or father let you come back.”  
“I was allowed to run away.” Greg smiled at him and stroked his hair. “What happened love?”  
“Edward kept yelling at me for everything, he made me do everything and it’s not me complaining, he always found someone to give the day off and I had to do their chores too so he could yell at me more. I couldn’t close my door, your sister kept chasing me, your father had such a displeased look on his face. Nan had to talk to him in the end to explain what was wrong with me.”  
“Why what happened?”  
“I just…it was like before, just worse.”  
“I’m sorry.”  
“And the worst part that I played on it a bit because I really didn’t feel well there. I…I lied to them so I could get out of the job I’m paid to do.”  
“Your job is to look after me and you do that exactly My. You can’t do it if you are not here; am I right?”  
“You don’t need looking after Gregory.”  
“Yes I do, you too.” Greg kissed him.  
“Nan told your father about the incident with the plate so now he knows that it’s not easy for me to get used to a new situation, not to mention when I’m forced into it; and the one with Edward too, he also saw the state I was in so he let me come back.”  
“What did he do?” Mycroft poked his hands out from under the blanket.  
“Bastard!” Greg sat up.  
“I chose the wrong flower for the table, he said it was for funerals I asked him how am I supposed to know what flower is for what; so he…He said that no wonder I’m useless since I spend so much time with you.”  
“You are not useless love.”  
“I am and this shows it.”  
“No Mycroft.”  
“I’m just a nobody, who pretends to be someone, I’m a deceiving, lying, manipulating, cold monster.”  
“You are none of those things Mycroft, promise. I’m happy that you wanted to come back, I’m thrilled that you are actually here and that we’ll be left alone from now on. I’m not judging you, I’d probably do the same to be honest. As I told you, you are my best friend, my lover; you are Mycroft Holmes the university student, the teacher, the writer, the library’s own genius. Do you have any idea how many people called and came to see you? Your students, the papers you write to, even your professors and I got a call from a library too asking if you are all right since they haven’t seen you for a while.” Mycroft didn’t answer. “I get the cream and bandages.” Greg kissed him and collected the things. “I think we better go to the hospital, this doesn’t look good.”  
“It’s not broken, I can tell, please don’t make me go.”  
“All right.” Greg sighed and turned his attention back to his hands. “How did you manage?”  
“I had worse.” Mycroft mumbled. “Nan came out to the station with me, she sends her regards and asked me to tell you to look after me more carefully…she is worried that I’ll do something to myself after I told her about me acting a bit…Although she thinks that I’m just thinking it was acting and in fact it was real, and I honestly don’t know anymore. These two weeks were confusing, it brought back memories I buried deep…I slept under the bed, I pushed the drawer in front of the door, I was only eating when I was alone or with Nan…I tried to do my best, I really did but it wasn’t enough…I’m so sorry, I failed; you were right I’m not even good for service.”  
“That’s not what I meant when I said it.” Greg protested.  
“I was never good at obeying orders, that’s why I have so many scars; he had to punish me a lot.” Greg pulled him to his arms.  
“You are not there anymore, you are safe with me, at home where you are loved by many, but no more than me. I love you and I’ll protect you; if it means arguing with father, I’ll do it next time. I’m so sorry I let him take you, I should have told him…”  
“No Gregory, your relationship is finally as it were before; you are happy…I do not want you to ruin it just because of me.”  
“But you mean everything to me My, you have no idea how I suffered on my own. I was working and studying all day long, only coming home when it was really necessary…just like you.”  
“Oh, how bad it was for you…turning into me.” Mycroft said ironically. Greg chuckled, seeing he managed to get Mycroft out of his gloomy mood.  
“Come love I help you take a bath.”  
“But…”  
“There is nothing I haven’t seen before.” Greg chuckled.

“There.” Greg put Mycroft down to the kitchen chair.  
“You know that there’s nothing wrong with my legs.”  
“I know, but I’m happy that I can hold you again. I quickly cook up something.”  
“I already did.”  
“You did what?” Greg whispered.  
“I made dinner for us, nothing fancy just chicken and vegetables.”  
“You cooked with those hands!” Greg knelt down and gently kissed his bandaged hands.  
“I knew you’ll come home late…”  
“Oh My…” Greg wrapped his arms around Mycroft.  
“Gregory.” he just whimpered and tightened his hold around him. “Please my dear, there is no need to cry.”  
“You…you…I don’t deserve you.” Greg looked up finally.  
“Idiot.” Mycroft smiled and leaned down to kiss him. “Let’s eat Gregory, you are tired…we both are and I still have to write an essay.”  
“You dictate I write. I also think you should stay home tomorrow, it’s just one day, you need to rest.”  
“But I already missed so much!”  
“Two weeks it’s nothing for you, it’s just one more day.” Greg kissed him. “You missed school more than me.” Greg tilted his head with a smirk.  
“Of course not Gregory.”

 

“Gregory!” Mycroft hurried to him.  
“Hello My.” Greg hugged him tightly turning him around. “You were amazing love.”  
“Thank you.” Mycroft pulled back and looked at Greg. “What’s wrong my dear?”  
“Nothing.” Greg quickly turned back to the stove. “Could you set the table, dinner is ready.”  
“Gregory.” Mycroft turned him.  
“Father was there at your debate.”  
“Oh…” Mycroft went very pale.  
“I told him everything.”  
“You did what?” he whispered.  
“I told him about you going to school, I told him about us, that after graduation I’ll be a policeman…He said that I’m dead to him.”  
“No, no…leave me, go back to him, fall to your knees and beg him to take you back.”  
“I can’t.” Greg wiped down his tears. “I don’t want to lose you…I can’t…this two year has been the happiest time of my life, please don’t leave me.” Mycroft pulled him to a hug.  
“I’m not going anywhere.”  
“From now on we might need to use the money you get for your articles and students.”  
“Weren’t you…?”  
“I put it aside, every single penny. I know you gave it to me to pay into the rent, but I thought you’ll need it after you graduate and start a life of your own.”  
“And where would you be?”  
“With you if that’s what you want.”  
“I do. We should move then.”  
“Yes.”  
“I’ll ask around someone might know a reasonably priced, decent place.” he kissed Greg. “I’m sorry Gregory.”  
“It’s not your fault.”  
“You wanted to help me and…”  
“No Mycroft, I didn’t regret it, not at all. Promise, I can say that asking you to move here with me was the best decision of my life. Let’s eat you must be hungry.” he cupped Mycroft’s face. “Anyways we’ll be fine, I heard the way you talk you’ll be winning cases on day one, so I can be a poor policeman.” Mycroft smiled at him.  
“You’ll be an amazing not so poor policeman and I’ll be an overworked nobody in the office not setting foot to a court room for years.”  
“I don’t think so, you know the firms go to these debates, looking for potential candidates, I’d be surprised if there is one that doesn’t want you.”  
“We’ll see.” Mycroft sat down.


	6. Chapter 6

“And where do you think you are going?” Greg asked when Mycroft sat up.  
“School.”  
“Do you have any idea where you are?”  
“Home.”  
“Nope.” Greg pushed him back to the bed.  
“Where am I?” Mycroft asked with fear.  
“Hospital.”  
“Why?” he looked around with confusion.  
“Because you passed out on the street.”  
“When?”  
“Four days ago.”  
“What!” Mycroft sat up immediately. “No, that can not be! I have to go now.”  
“You go nowhere.” Greg tried to push him back down.  
“I have to, I missed my students, I have to finish an article, my exams coming up, I have to go to the library and apologise, I have to take back books too and the office! I haven’t done what I was told to, and…”  
“I took back the books, everyone knows that you are sick and I took over your office job.”  
“Why?”  
“Because I have the time for it, unlike you.”  
“But I have to…”  
“No Mycroft. I told you there is no need for this, why can’t you understand it.”  
“But…”  
“But what?”  
“One of us has to work.”  
“And you did and it would have been perfectly enough without you getting two new jobs.”  
“We have to pay the rent and food and…”  
“And we sat down and calculated and agreed that it’ll be fine until I finish the basic training and I can start working too.”  
“Next to school?”  
“By the time I finish we’d graduate so no. And you are working next to school too. Mycroft this has to stop!”  
“But…”  
“Enough with the buts; I can work in the office in the evenings, we’ll get home around the same time if you want to keep the one in the library.”  
“I have to.”  
“You don’t, please Mycroft. You can’t leave me like this.”  
“Like what?”  
“Dropping dead because of exhaustion, I’d blame myself…I hope you don’t want that.”  
“Not your fault Gregory.”  
“Well I talked with father so…” Greg whispered.  
“Fine, for your peace of mind you can have the office.”  
“Thank you.”  
“What about the one in the weekend?”  
“There is more? You are kidding with me.” Greg sighed.  
“Saturday in the library and Sunday is cleaning.”  
“Well absolutely no to the Sunday job.”  
“Okay.” Mycroft sighed. “I’m still tired.”  
“No wonder. Here drink a bit and then back to sleep My.”  
“I’m sorry Gregory, really sorry. I’ll be more careful, promise.”  
“I’ll watch you more closely from now on Mycroft and if I see the tiniest sign that you are overworking yourself you’ll take time off or lay off the library job; understood?”  
“Yes Sir.” Mycroft mumbled already drifting off. 

 

“Where were you? Mycroft! Do not dare to ignore me!” Greg hurried after him. “Open the door Mycroft!” Greg knocked on the door. “Open it NOW!” he yelled. Mycroft finally opened the door. “What happened?”  
“Nothing.” Mycroft quickly turned his back to him.  
“My, please talk to me, what happened?”  
“It’s a no again.” he whispered and sunk to the bed. “Again and again and again…” he sobbed. “I finished on top of my class, both of them! I can talk with people, I see through them, I speak four languages, I’m practically a walking dictionary, I know every case by heart…” Greg hugged him. “Why is this happening every time?” he whined. “My past comes up and I can immediately see that I’m out.”  
“Did they actually say that you don’t get it or they said they’ll get back to you?”  
“They are not hiring right now, but I met Joe and he got in. So they just don’t want me. What am I going to do now Gregory? What? I’m useless; I will never get a job…I can go back to cleaning offices or find a family and be what I am, a servant…no I’m not even good for that.” Greg cupped Mycroft’s face forcing him to look at him.  
“You are not useless Mycroft, not at all.”  
“I am.” he whined. “Everyone said that I’ll be a great lawyer, I’ll get a job in no time and two months passed with only rejections.”  
“Two months Mycroft, only two and you still have interviews scheduled. I’m working, we’ll be fine.”  
“But again you are working and I’m sitting here doing nothing.”  
“You still write articles.”  
“That’s nothing.” Mycroft sighed. “This is my fault, all of this. I should have said no and stayed in the mansion, where I belong.”  
“No love. I promise it’ll be fine.”  
“We had to move because of me! Before with my students and the library we were fine, but now…My cell was better than this place! I’m terrified every time you come home in the dark because of the people that are dying to hurt the police.”  
“I’m fine, I can protect myself and we’ll move soon. I’ll get promoted, you get a job and we can look for something else. Come on, you need to eat something.”  
“I can’t, sorry.”  
“You haven’t been eating for days.”  
“I can’t, I’m so anxious that I’m constantly nauseous.”  
“You have nothing to be scared of.”  
“I have everything to be scared of, I have nothing, no home, family, work, nothing! I’m nothing.”  
“You have me.”  
“And what if you decide to leave me?”  
“Why would I?”  
“Because I’m useless.” Greg kissed him.   
“You are not love, promise. Eat a little something, only a little My.” he nodded. “Shall I bring it here?”  
“Please.”  
“Get changed till that.” Greg kissed him.

Greg got up early in the morning when Mycroft climbed through him.  
“My?” he mumbled then followed Mycroft to the bathroom. “Oh yes it’s today.” he sat next to Mycroft stroking circles on his back. “It’s going to be fine Mycroft, you’ll get it this time.”  
“This is the last Gregory.” Mycroft whispered shakily. “The firm is everyone’s last choice…my last chance. The majority of their cases are assignment from Legal Aid Agency. I’m going to be surrounded by murderers and thieves and god know who else.”  
“They need help too, they might be innocent.” Greg leaned to his back and kissed the base of his neck, trying to calm Mycroft. “It’ll be fine Mycroft, you’ll start to win cases for them, someone will see you and hire you. Promise.”  
“But how am I going to win cases if I represent a murderer and I know that he really did it…”  
“What if not?”  
“But I can tell, I can always tell.”  
“This is why Professor Moor talked with you. Remember? After the first time we went to court and you got removed from the room.”  
“But he killed her! Why couldn’t they believe it. And he played the cards so well that he got away with it.”  
“Remember what he told you?”  
“What?”  
“No My, think.” Mycroft remained silent for a while. “Come on get back to bed My.” Greg kissed the top of his head.  
“I can’t sleep.”  
“At least let me hold you.”  
“All right.” he sighed. Greg helped him back to the bed, he held Mycroft close stroking his hair and started to sing to him. “Oh that…” he yawned. “I like that song.” he closed his eyes and fell asleep immediately.

“So?” Greg got home and found Mycroft hunched over files in the kitchen.”Mycroft?” he kissed the top of his head.   
“You are home my dear?” he smiled.  
“Apparently.”  
“How was your day?”  
“Good actually. I’m getting transferred!”  
“Where?”  
“Out of uniform into suits.” he smiled.  
“We have to buy you suits, I have to check the budget to see how many we can get now. I won’t need anything so we can use more…” he looked back at the files. “Dinner on the stove.”  
“Okay, but first you look up and tell me what did I just tell you.” Mycroft looked up and hesitated.  
“I…I don’t know, I’m so sorry.”  
“New job My.”  
“Really? You got promoted!” he jumped up and kissed Greg. “I knew you will be amazing in it. I told you.”  
“Thank you, and what about you?”  
“Me?” Greg pointed at the files. “Oh, yes I got the job and these ten are my cases for tomorrow.”  
“All ten tomorrow?”  
“Yes.”  
“I put on coffee.”  
“Thank you.”  
“It’ll be like this every day?”  
“Most likely, I hope they’ll get the files to me earlier so I can prepare. There is barely anyone working there. I was hired without a word…I told them my name and that’s all. Salary is acceptable…better than nothing.”  
“I hope you won’t end up in the hospital again.”  
“Most likely in the psych ward; like the others who worked there before.”  
“You’ll get picked out of there soon, promise.”  
“Funny thing few months ago I thought I’ll be fine and here I am.”  
“You thought I’ll be a failure?”  
“No Gregory, I knew you’ll be amazing. I just hoped that I’ll be fine too.”  
“You will be.” Greg made space for the plate.  
“Don’t touch them!” Mycroft yelled.  
“Sorry.” Greg stepped back. “I just stand here then.” Mycroft just mumbled, Greg smiled put the coffee where he could see and let Mycroft to work.

 

Greg was surprised when Mycroft marched into the office.  
“Mycroft?”  
“Here to work Gregory.” he sighed.  
“Sorry.”  
“Actually do you have a second?” Mycroft stepped back to him. “I got an offer, a great one; one of the top firms in the city…”  
“That is great Mycroft!”  
“That part yes, but I’ll basically be a secretary. No court time for god knows how long. I mean Henry’s been there for a year and all he does it type and copy and put files in order, not even preparing cases, nothing! As much as I hate having this much cases at once and that most of them are really guilty; I love being in the court room. Oh, got to go…talk tonight.”  
Greg caught Mycroft on his way out, he saw immediately that his new client was guilty again which always put Mycroft into a cranky mood.  
“I can’t talk right now.” he tried to go around Greg who stepped in front of him.  
“Tomorrow you are going to be sick.”  
“Why would I?”  
“Because I have the day off.” he whispered. “We need a little alone time.”  
“Gregory?”  
“You need to think and talk things over, we’ll have tomorrow to sleep and the rest of the weekend to think and other things.” he whispered with a smile.  
“I might consider your offer DS Lestrade.” Mycroft smiled back at him.  
“Hey! I wanted to be the one telling you. I just got the results this morning.”  
“It’s written all over your face my dear.” Mycroft chuckled. “Congratulation, now I really have to run; can’t be late.”  
Greg was the first to get home that day, he decided to cook dinner and prepare everything so they can have an uninterrupted weekend. He hid all of Mycroft pending files.  
“Look who’s home.” Greg kissed him. “Don’t say it I saw it on your face love.”  
“Thank you.” Mycroft melted to his embrace.  
“I made you dinner, come.” Greg pulled him to the kitchen.  
“Where are my files?!”  
“Really? I cooked and bought flowers and candles and you complain about your files!”  
“Sorry, so sorry.” Mycroft kissed him. “I love it, thank you. Just you know I’m sick.”  
“Really?” Greg pulled away.  
“No.” he chuckled. “I’m staying home tomorrow.”  
“Good.” Greg smiled. “So Mr. Holmes dinner and…” he kissed Mycroft.  
“I think we can postpone dinner.” Mycroft kissed back.

“So what do you think? What should I do?” Mycroft laid his head on Greg’s chest, Greg wrapped his arms around him.  
“It’s not easy…”  
“You said you’ll help.”  
“I know you hate the part where you have to defend the guilty…”  
“Which is most of the time.”  
“You love when you finally have a client who is innocent and you manage to prove it. You always say this is why you do it. No one else would work this much for them.”  
“Yes, but there I had less case once I’m allowed to take cases; three times the salary; after two or three years I might get back to the courtroom. We could move, I could spend more time with you. But I…just…don’t want to be…” he trailed off.  
Greg kissed him. “You don’t want to be a slave again.” Mycroft fiddled with the blanket. “Why don’t you stay and wait for another offer.”  
“What if I won’t get one?”  
“Start your own firm.”  
“From what? I don’t have money Gregory.”  
“Loan.”  
“And then the firm goes down and I end up deep in debt and you’ll feel like you have to save me, again…” Greg kissed him to make him stop talking.  
“Now breath My.” Greg started to stroke his hair. “Slower love.”  
“Okay.” he whispered, Greg waited till Mycroft calmed down a bit.  
“The dinner is coming up, you know that yearly, fancy, fake smiling dinner. You’ll dress up, sleep before it so you won’t look like someone who just rise from death, smile and mingle.”  
“Mingle?”  
“Yes; you’ll ask around and get a new job for yourself.”  
“I’m not sure that will work.”  
“Mycroft they all know you…”  
“Exactly, they’ll also know that I turned off the offer.”  
“Which means you are still free.”  
“Out in the market to be bought you mean.”  
“My, please.” Greg kissed him. “You are not a slave; you are the golden egg everyone wants for himself.”  
“Where were they two years ago?” he mumbled.  
“Say no.”  
“Why?” he whined.  
“So I won’t find you under the bed, your blood on the floor.”  
“Why would I do that?”  
“Because you’d feel like a slave again.”  
“I love you very much Gregory.” Mycroft kissed him. “Will you come with me?”  
“Wouldn’t that be strange?”  
“Why? Almost all of our school friends will be there.”  
“Reunion?”  
“It’ll be fun.”  
“They are all lawyers and I’m just a police officer.”  
“Little slaves Gregory and you are a DS, you did more than any of them in these years. You should put on your parade uniform you look so dashing in it.”  
“You want me to wear it so you can watch me rather than talk to people.”  
“No, I need you so I can distract myself when I start to panic.”  
“Fine, I’ll go, if I’m not working.”  
“Thank you. Dinner?”  
“Please.”


	7. Chapter 7

“Remind me again why we are here?” Mycroft whispered to Greg, tightly clutching his hand.  
“To get you a job and have fun…Hello guys.”  
“Greg!” they were soon surrounded by old friends. “Long time no see.”  
“Lots of work, sorry.”  
“The uniform suits you.”  
“Mycroft’s request.”  
“Wait…”  
“He is not my cousin.”  
“No? Then what?” Greg tilted his head. “Oh…Oh, I’d never guess that.”  
“I hope no one has a problem with it, I don’t want to get murdered.”  
“No.” they chuckled.  
“Excuse me.” Mycroft left them.  
“What’s up with him?”  
“He is fine, why?”  
“We heard.”  
“He can be a lawyer this way.”  
“Lucky him.”  
“Why? I was in on a case.”  
“After two years, yes. And I still have nothing.” Henry sighed.   
“Join the firm, Mycroft is tremendously overworked.”  
“I…I…”  
“Not enough money?” Greg smirked.  
“I don’t expect you to understand Lestrade.”  
“Are you kidding with me? Have any idea where we live?”  
“No. Where?”  
“Better if you don’t know.”  
“Not in the…” he bit the end of the sentence when Greg nodded.  
“But your father?”  
“I’m no longer part of the family…since he found out about Mycroft and me.”  
“Is it true that he was your servant?” Greg regarded him with an alarming look. “That’s what they say.” he stepped back and mumbled.  
“Yes, but only for a few months, we moved up and after that I told him he is not…It took him time to get used to it. Then we got to know each other more and here we are.”  
“You are strange.”  
“Why? I have a job that I love, live with the person I love; we are perfectly happy, overworked…but happy.” he looked for Mycroft with his eyes. “I better find him. See you guys.” he walked around looking for Mycroft  
“Here you are.” he wrapped his arms around Mycroft who was standing on the balcony.  
“I made a deal.”  
“I don’t like the sound of it.”  
“There is a case no one wants…lots of work with it, prestigious people, not an easy one. If I do it, I get hired as a lawyer, not a little slave but a real one.”  
“You can definitely do it.”  
“I’m not so sure, but try.”  
“What if you lose?”  
“I have to stay with them and be a clerk.”  
“How long?”  
“Ten years.”  
“Good lord.”  
“It’s already done.” Mycroft turned in his arms. “I’m scared to be honest. I shouldn’t have done this.”  
“It’ll be fine, I know.”  
“Salary would be better even it doesn’t work out.” he sighed.  
“Are you doing this for money?” Greg frowned.  
“Well we need to eat, we could move but I really want a job where I feel well, where I have a manageable workload so I can spend time with you. I like being in the courtroom, but…I can’t even remember when we were out together.”  
“Not in a year I think.” Greg kissed him.  
“See? I want to go out with you, I want to show you off.” he smiled at Greg. “Let’s go in.”  
“Okay, will you talk to the others?”  
“I will.”  
“Just you know they know everything.”  
“Lovely. Wait everything?”  
“Yes.”  
“Oh, well this is us.” Mycroft took his hand. “We are getting along without anyone’s help. We did what everyone told us that not going to work out. So chin up.” Greg smiled at him and they went back in.

 

“Greg could you come over?” Henry asked.  
“Why?”  
“Mycroft.”  
“What happened?”  
“Just come.” his tone made Greg scared.  
“Okay.”   
Soon Greg was standing in front of Henry’s door.  
“What happened? Where is he?”  
“In there.” Mycroft who was sleeping on the sofa.   
“What happened?”  
“Sit down, please.” Greg sunk next to Mycroft, stroking his hair. “As we all knew Mycroft won the case and then he went to talk to the boss about their agreement. Which ended in a shouting match, turns out he didn’t want Mycroft to win the case, he told him that he should have known that. We have an office filled with old files waiting to be arranged, he sent Mycroft to do it. He went and started, but after a while Mycroft…well, broke down…I’ve never seen him like that. We were not allowed to help him, but I couldn’t leave him there like that; so I brought him home.”  
“Thank you.”  
“And got fired for it.”  
“So sorry about that. After this no one will hire him.”  
“The firm he is working in?”  
“He quit, he didn’t have time for this case and the other hundred he had there. I’m pretty sure they’d take him back without a word but I’m not sure he wants that…I mean he will do it, but he’ll get worse and worse. That work really taken its toll on him. What am I going to do with him now?” Greg sighed.  
“He said that you suggested him to start a firm.”  
“I did.”  
“I’m in.”  
“What?”  
“I have the money he has the experience and the brain; together we can do it.”  
“Are you serious?”  
“Yes.”  
“Because…”  
“I really mean it.” Mycroft slowly opened his eyes. He looked around with confusion.  
“Morning love.” Greg kissed him.  
“What happened?” he mumbled.  
“Shhh…” Greg stroked his hair. “I take you home.”  
“Aren’t we there?”  
“No, Henry brought you to his place.”  
“No! He shouldn’t have helped me.”  
“It’s too late Mycroft.”  
“I’m so sorry.” he pushed himself up.  
“Let’s go home.”  
“Are you sure? After this I won’t get a job.”  
“No need. We start our firm.” Henry answered.  
“From what?”  
“I have the money.”  
“I can’t…”  
“You have no other choice Mycroft, we need to work.”  
“But…”  
“I go over tomorrow and we start the paperwork.”

 

“Am I going to see you from now on?”  
“Yes.” Mycroft didn’t look up from the files.   
“Are you sleeping by the table again?”  
“Yes.”  
“Will you marry me?”  
“Yes.” Greg chuckled and kissed the top of his head. “Oh, Gregory you are home! How was your day?”  
“Good, thank you. Yours?”  
“Busy, very busy.”  
“And you were worried that no one will hire you.”  
“I know, but apparently when you work for nothing everyone likes you.”  
“You work for reasonable prices My.”  
“Not that we have another option.”  
“Will you work tomorrow?”  
“Well of course.”  
“It’s Saturday.”  
“Really?” Mycroft sighed. “What month it is?”  
“December.”  
“What?”  
“Yes My, you’ve been working none stop for months. Monday is Christmas.”  
“No!”  
“Yes love.”  
“No, I’m sorry, so sorry. I…I…when was the last time we slept together?”  
“Few months.” Greg mumbled.  
“Jesus.” Mycroft buried his face. “What was I doing?”  
“Working.”  
“Every single day?” Greg nodded. “I’m so sorry. How do you bear it?”  
“I love you My.”  
“But I’ve been neglecting you, I haven’t even got you anything for Christmas.”  
“I already did it.”  
“Oh great.” he sighed. “You had to buy a gift for yourself. I’m a monster.”  
“You just want to get the firm going, I understand. Soon you’ll have enough profit to hire few more people and then you will have a reasonable schedule.” Greg started to pack away the files from the table. “Now, you eat and go to bed. Tomorrow we decorate the tree and cook together and rest a few days.”  
“But…”  
“Henry told me you are not working till the New Year.”  
“But I have to…”  
“No My. You don’t.” he kissed him. “Now eat.”  
Greg put Mycroft to bed, he found him still up when he joined him.  
“My!” he stroked his hair.  
“I’m so sorry.” he sobbed.  
“No need love.”  
“You risked everything for me and now I’m doing this to you.”  
“My…I still don’t regret it. I’ve never been happier in my life; I have you and my job in which I’m actually really good. It’s thanks to you that I’m here, that I could give up my job and start the training; that I can do what I really want, that we could move…”  
“We moved?” he sat up.  
“Yes, you picked it. You said this way you don’t have to worry about me getting killed when I come home in the evening. Nor me worrying about you getting sick in the heating less apartment.”  
“I…I can’t remember.”   
“You can because you always find your way home.” Greg kissed him.  
“True.”  
“Please don’t cry My.” Greg pulled him to his arms. “I still love you very very much. I love you and that’s why I’m still with you. I’m here, I’m here…you are just exhausted.”  
“I’m so sorry.” he whispered.  
“I know.”  
“Sorry.”   
“My…” Greg stroked his hair and started to sing to him.  
“No, no I don’t want that…I…I have to see the flat, I have so many questions…” but Greg didn’t stop and Mycroft finally fell asleep. 

“Gregory, Gregory, Gregory.”  
“Yes?” he didn’t open his eyes.  
“I want a tour of the flat.”  
“The flat you chose?”  
“Yes and yesterday you made me fell asleep.”  
“Yes, because you were exhausted. And now I want to rest, so why don’t you go and explore it yourself.”   
“But I want to be with you.”  
“Then stay in bed with me…and we explore later.”  
“Okay.” Mycroft settled back in his arms. “Now?” Mycroft asked a few minutes later.  
“Seriously?”  
“I’m sorry, but I don’t remember when was the last time I slept this long.”  
“Then come here.” Greg kissed him, pulling him closer and closer then he started to sing.  
“Nope, nope!” Mycroft got up. “I go on my own…or rather…” he kissed Greg.


	8. Chapter 8

“I’m here My, I’m here.” Greg sat next to Mycroft, stroking his hair. Mycroft just whined not opening his eyes. “It’s going to be all right, promise. You’ll get better in no time.” Greg wiped down his tears. “You don’t have another choice love.” he heard the door bell. He wiped down his tears and went to open the door.  
“Father?”  
“May I come in?”  
“Oh, sure.” Greg stepped aside. “What are you doing here?”  
“I came to Nan’s funeral.”  
“Oh, yes…we were there too, just in the distance.”  
“I went to my club after that, and people keep coming up to me congratulating for my son; the best and youngest DI they had in the force for decades. Then Lord White came to me asking if I could get him an appointment with Mycroft through you, because he couldn’t get through otherwise.”  
“We are getting on pretty well.”  
“Where is he?”  
“He’s sick.” Greg whispered and his tears started to fell. “Very sick, but I can’t take him to the hospital because he talks in his sleep.”  
“And?” they went back to the room.  
“We went to the funeral and suddenly he disappeared; I found him putting flowers to the grave of the first wife of the king, he said that she was his mother, who died after giving birth to him. His father, the king despised him for it, he quickly got married and the situation got worse. He also talks about his brother, Sherlock that after the king got sick eight years ago he hid Sherlock. I used his pass and got into the library where I managed to find the eldest’s name in the archives. I looked for any sign of a funeral, a grave but there is nothing.” his father sunk to the chair.  
“Some parents get inspired after a royal baby born; I thought that happened to him too. His parents naming him after the prince after all the age fits. The king really hated his son for what happened to Eleanor, no one was allowed to show any affection towards the poor child, it got even worse after he remarried. He was a very smart child, needing attention and love; he got attached to anyone who said a kind word to him. That is exactly what happened…he was remarkable, and impossible to get rid of. He followed me everywhere, that’s why I took you with me, so I can get a little time off. Then someone had enough of it and I was sent away and he disappeared from the public’s eyes. This is the first time he talked about it?”  
“Yes.” Mycroft woke up. “Hi there.” Greg kissed his forehead. “Here drink this.” Greg pulled him up to make him drink. “My father’s here.” Mycroft looked around.  
“Oh…Good evening Sir, sorry but I can’t get up right now.” he whispered.  
“Understandable.”  
“Father was just talking about you.”  
“Me?”  
“When you were little.”  
“Oh, yes he was the only one who showed kindness towards me.”  
“He still has doubts that it’s really you.”  
“My shirt…”  
“What is it love?”  
“My right side.” he whispered, Greg pulled his shirt up.  
“I was five so don’t judge me Gregory. I didn’t like my spots, I desperately wanted to get rid of them, one day your father found me with a knife, I wanted to cut them out. He took the knife from me, sat me to his lap and said that those were special spots only appearing on the brightest and that someday, someone will see them and immediately recognise that I belong to them and they’ll love me and take care of me.” he trailed off.  
“You know I love every single spot of yours.” he smiled and kissed him.  
“Good lord.” Greg’s father was sitting in the chair very pale.  
“I remember everything now.”  
The front door got thrown open, Greg went to see who was it.  
“Greg Lestrade.” four policemen marched to the flat. “You are under arrest.”  
“What? Why?” he was grabbed.  
“You have the right to remain silent…”  
“Father!” he was cuffed and dragged out of the flat.  
“Don’t worry son…I take care of it.” he yelled after them, he went back to the room.  
“What happened?” Mycroft tried to sit up on his own.  
“They arrested him.”  
“Why?”  
“He snooped around the archives.” he sighed.  
“No!”  
“He’ll be fine, promise. Now you come with me.”

Mycroft woke up in Greg’s old room.  
“Long time no see brother mine.”  
“Sherlock!” he sat up. “Sherlock, I missed you so much.” he kept repeating his name pulling his brother to a hug.  
“You didn’t remember me.”  
“I know, but now I do and I missed you.” he mumbled.  
“Well it is good seeing you again. Was it her this time too?”  
“What?”  
“Making you sick.”  
“No, I overworked myself.”  
“As always.”  
“You know me.” he smiled  
“Mr. Lestrade said that you want to take your rightful place.”  
“Planning to, will you help?”  
“Sure.”  
“Thank you.”

“Sherlock; taking a break from crime solving?” Eurus walked down the stair to them.  
“I brought someone who’d like to talk to you sister mine.”  
“Oh…” she tilted her head.  
“You always said you are the clever one.” Mycroft stepped forward.  
“Well it took you eight years to escape, still slow brother mine.” Mycroft grinned. “So now you want my place.”  
“It is mine after all.”  
“Why do you think I’d give it to you? Who would listen to a drug addict prince and a once respectful Lord not to mention you, a servant boy?” she chuckled.  
“Pay more attention Eurus, I’m a lawyer…and I can find quiet a lots of people who would believe me. You didn’t manage to make everything and everybody disappear. Gregory managed to find papers mentioning me. Always making mistakes my dear sister, like father’s death. After the first failed attempt it took you three more years to kill him; pathetic.”  
“I’m not pathetic!” she shrieked.  
“Then what took you so long?” he tilted his head.  
“I…I was being careful.”  
“Sure, careful. I was closed up but I heard that you tried seven more times until you finally succeeded.”  
“You have no right to waltz in here and…and accuse me!”  
“Then tell me I’m not right?”  
“You…you…YOU!” she yelled.  
“Sister mine, please behave we are in company.”  
“You can’t tell me what to do!”  
“I’m the eldest!”  
“You are not my brother!”  
“I am, same father, remember? Have you been taking your medication? Sorry silly question, you killed your mother too so there’s no one who could make you take it.”  
“Stop this…STOP TALKING TO ME!” she yelled clutching her head between her arms. Mycroft saw that she started to fell apart; he smiled coldly.  
“Don’t enjoy it this much.” Sherlock whispered to his ears.  
“She sold me to be a slave, I can do whatever I want.” he hissed. “I believe it’s time for you to see the doctor.” he spoke up again.  
“But…”  
“Please sister mine don’t make me repeat it.”  
“But I’m fine!”  
“You are not a doctor my dear; nor me so please go and see her.” she just whined, Mycroft signalled to one of the ladies and she was escorted out.  
“And now?” Sherlock asked him.  
“Now she’ll be taken care of.”  
“You kill her? I won’t allow that!”  
“I was never thinking about that brother mine. She’ll have the east wing of the palace to herself, where she can do whatever she wants until she takes her meds.”  
“She never took anything.”  
“She did, not knowingly. Your mother put it into her food; it started after she killed Redbeard.”  
“Oh…but he was just a dog, he was old and...” Mycroft shook his head.  
“I’m sorry Sherlock.” Sherlock sat down.  
“Oh…”  
“I’m so sorry.” he knelt next to him, pulling him to a hug, but Sherlock pushed him away.  
“You…you ruined everything!”  
“What everything brother mine? You haven’t seen her in eight years not counting the funeral. You said you’ll help, you knew what it meant.”  
“Destroying my relationship with my sister!”  
“The sister who killed your best friend because you were playing with him not her, who killed your father, sold me and got rid of your mother too; why do you think you started to use drugs?”  
“You don’t know what are you talking about, you have no idea about us…” Sherlock turned his back to him, Mycroft put his hand on his shoulder.   
“I remember you always came to me crying because of what she did or said to you. After Victor disappeared you spent all of your time with me, until father let you; and when not you sneaked in and we talked and played all night long. Even when I was sick…After her fist failed attempt, I got you out of the palace, I knew once she succeed in killing father there’s nothing stopping her from hurt you. I couldn’t allow that…you suffered enough because of her, you deserved to live happily, at a safe place. I had to make sure you were safe.”   
“I want to go home.” Sherlock mumbled.  
“You can stay if you want.”  
“No, I want to go back. I have a case I had to finish.”  
“Sure.” Mycroft smiled sadly. “Will you come and visit me?”  
“I’m busy.”  
“Can I go and visit you?” Mycroft asked hopefully.  
“If you want to.” he stood up. “Don’t look like that Mycroft.” he sighed. “I promise I visit don’t worry. I want to see that Gregory of yours, I also want to show the palace to John.” he smiled.  
“Come any time.” Mycroft hugged him. “Please.” he whispered.  
“Don’t worry, you’ll soon have enough of my visits. Now I really have to go. Don’t overwork yourself brother mine!”  
“Safe journey Sherlock.”

Greg walked out of the prison, he looked at them with a wide smiled and looked around if anyone was waiting for him.  
“Mr. Lestrade, please come with me.” someone stepped to him.  
“Where to?”  
“This way.” Greg sighed and followed the man. The car stopped at the palace.  
“When can I see him?” he asked as soon as they got out of the car.  
“Soon.” that was all they were telling him. He had a bath, was examined from top to toe by a doctor, he was fed and left in the room. Whenever someone came in he asked when can he see Mycroft they always said ‘soon’.  
“May I see him now?” he asked again not looking up when the door opened.  
“You must, is there an off switch on him?”  
“Father!” he jumped up from the chair he spent the day waiting.  
“Greg.” he hugged him tightly. “Are you all right?”  
“Yes thank you, I’ve got checked.”  
“But otherwise.”  
“I am, it wasn’t as bad, don’t worry.”  
“Come now please we are exhausted but he doesn’t want to stop. He just got better a little I don’t think an all nighter is the best for him now.”  
“Just let me take care of it.”  
As soon as Greg stepped to the room he was almost swooped off his legs by Mycroft.  
“Gregory!”  
“Hello My.”  
“Gregory.” he kept repeating.  
“I’m here, I’m here and fine, don’t worry.” Greg stroked his hair.  
“I missed you so much.”  
“Me too love.”  
“I met my brother, you missed him he already left.”  
“We can meet at another time.”  
“Gregory.” Mycroft buried his face to his shoulder; Greg kept stroking his hair quietly singing to him; then slowly lowered themselves to the ground.  
“Nan’s lullaby, works every time.” he whispered to his father, everyone collapsed to a chair with a sigh. Greg chuckled. “He likes to work.”  
“You don’t say, he is still unstoppable; I show you to his room.” Greg picked up Mycroft and followed his father.  
Mycroft opened his eyes when Greg put him down. “Go back to sleep love.” he stroked his hair.  
“I can’t I have to go to the bathroom.” Greg chuckled.  
“Then go, I go after you.”  
“I want to take a bath too so you go and I get you something to sleep in. This was my room.” he got up and looked around.  
“Still yours.”  
“Nope, ours if you like it.”  
“It’s fine My.”  
“Talk to me Gregory.” Mycroft sat back and cupped his face.  
“It’s just…you are the king now and I’m…I don’t know.”  
“You are DI Lestrade…”  
“I’m fired.”  
“No you are not, I talked with your boss. Now will you let me finish?”  
“Please continue.”  
“So; you are Gregory, my loving partner, the most amazing, selfless, patient, kind caring gorgeous man I’ve ever met and my fiancé if you want it too.” Mycroft kissed him and left to take a bath leaving Greg to think. He settled next to Greg after he finished.  
“Who poured the soap on you my dear?”  
“No one, I tried to use as little as I could, but this was the only option.” Greg wrapped his arms around him.   
“I thought we could have a spring wedding, in the garden by the tree we first met. You were sitting under it sulking because you had to babysit me.” Greg laughed.  
“I remember that, I never knew who I was babysitting.”  
“Well now you do. I want you to know that this changes nothing between us Gregory. Nothing.” Mycroft turned to face him. “I’m the same person as before, promise.”  
“You have to give up the court room.”  
“Unfortunately, I’ll have so much work; I think it’ll occupy me enough. I have to call Henry!” he sat up.  
“In the morning, it’s already too late.”  
“Okay.” he lay back.  
“I love you Mycroft.” Greg kissed him. “Now go to sleep otherwise you can’t terrorise the council tomorrow.”  
“But there is so much to be done.”  
“I know, but I won’t allow it.”  
“You can’t keep me from them because you’ll be at work.” Mycroft smiled.  
“I have my ways love; now sleep.”  
“I’m glad you forgot to pay the bill.” Greg chuckled and kissed him. “Good night Gregory.”  
“Night My.”


End file.
